NLS Other Writings

Art and Science of Audio Book Production

Issued September 1995

Ensuring Quality

The use of quality assurance and quality control methods and procedures should be standard practice in all facets of audio book production. Quality assurance is a collection of methods and procedures established to identify potential problems and prevent them from occurring. Quality control is a collection of methods and procedures established to identify finished products that do not meet requirements and prevent them from circulating to consumers. Quality assurance is problem avoidance and quality control is problem detection.

Examples of quality assurance methods and procedures are requiring all narrator candidates to pass a narration audition to qualify to be a narrator; having available appropriate reference materials for all staff involved in original master recording production; using good quality tape products for original masters, running masters, and cassette copies; and frequent, thorough cleaning of tape transports for all mastering, reviewing, and duplicating equipment.

Examples of quality control methods and procedures are completely reviewing all original master recordings for artistic and technical quality; checking all running masters for technical quality before they are used to duplicate copies; and checking all cassette copies for technical quality before they
are circulated to consumers.

An example of a production practice that encompasses both quality assurance and quality control is the use of running masters for general duplicating purposes.

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Introduction

Art narration as art components skill enhancing factors accuracy evaluation

Science narration environment host environment ventilation original masters running masters quality assurance

Position Descriptions narrator monitor reviewer

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Posted on 2006-02-24